Collapsible pontoon



A. GOUGE COLLAPSIBLE PONTOON Jan. 24, 195o 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 26, 1946 any,

A. GOUGE 2,495,412

COLLAPSIBLE PONTOON l 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 my @JDJ .Sw mmf Jan. 24, 1950 Filed Nov. 26, 1946 w E E w I Jan. 24, 1950 Filerd NOV. 26, 1946 A. GOUGE COLLAPSIBLE PONTOON 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 24, 1950 A, GOUGE 2,495,412

COLLAPSIBLE PONTOON Filed Nov. 26, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 @Win14, WMZ, @M47 Jan. 24,'1950I A. GOUGE 2,495,412

COLLAPSIB'LE PONTOON Filed Nov. 2e, 194e 5 sheets-sheet 5 seal.

Patented Jan. 244, 1.950

coLLAPsIBLE PoNTooN Arthur Gouge, Osborne, East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, assignor to Saunders Engineering and Shipyard Limited, Fryars, Beaumaris, Anglesey,

North Wales e' ApplicationNovember 26, 1946, Serial No. 712,385 Y l In Great Britain December 4, 1945 This invention relates to pontoons for carrying bridges, e. g. bridges of the Bailey type. Such pontoons have hitherto been madeof Wood and they are very bulky and inconvenient, requiring large vehicles for transporting them.

The object of this invention is to provide a metal pontoon, preferably made of light alloy, which'is capable of disassembly into constituent units of relatively small size, so that the pontoon can be transported in an aircraft or in a small land vehicle such as a jeep.

` The metal pontoon according to the invention comprises a hollow'rectangular base and vfolding side and end members pivoted to the upper edges of the base, said folding members being movable about their hinges between a folded position in which they lie flat'on the base and a raised position in which they constitute upward extensions of the sides and ends of the base, locking means for securing the folding members in raised position, and jointing strips between the lower edges of the side and end'members and the upper edges of the base, and between the adjoining vertical edges of the side and end members, which provide a water-excluding seal in the raised position of the folding members. The seal is of course necessary as when the pontoon is under load, the water level will raise substantially above the upper surface of the base.

In a preferred form of the invention, the seal is achieved as follows. The end members are hinged on downwardly extending arms to pivot about hinge axes located below the top level of the base, so that they can fold down into the base, enabling the side members afterwards to be folded down on top oi them. Round the upper edges of the base runs a channel containing a rubber sealing strip, and, when the side and end members are raised to operative position, beads 4on these members engage this rubber strip to form the The vertical joints between the side and end members aresealed by rubber strips on one pair of members (e. g. the side members) which areA engaged by beads on the other pair of members (e. g. the end members). A complete seal is thus provided against entrance of water into the interior of the pontoon.

The above-mentioned box and folding members will generally constitute vthe centre section of a pontoon which, inknown manner, comprises in addition detachable bow portions which t on the ends of the centre section. Each bow portion according to the invention may be formed in two parts which can be nested inone another to save vspace when the pontoon is to be transported.

v claims. (ci. 114-77) Y Being relatively small the parts of the bow units need not fold, and they can be made as sheet metal watertight boxes.

One example of a pontoon according to the invention will now be described in ldetail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is Aa side elevation of the pontoon as erected for service,

' Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the bow units detached and the centre section folded for transport,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the centre section,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line IV-IV in Fig. 1,

Figs.V 5 and 6 are' respectively sections, on a larger scale, on the lines V-V and VI-VI in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 7 is a detail plan view, indicating the con'- nection between the two parts of one of the bow units.

lLike reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the figures. l

The pontoon is made throughout of light metal alloy, and comprises a centre section I0 and two detachable bow units. Each bow unit consists of an inner part II and an outer part I2. These are of sheet metal box construction .suitably stiiened, and are detachable from one another. When detached, the outer part I2 .can be nested within the inner part I I as shown in Fig. 2. The two parts are joined at the bottom by pins I3 on the outer part engaging with eyes I4 on the inner part (see Fig. '7) and at the top by a pin I5 passed through registering holes in a T section I6 on the inner part and angle sections I 'I on the outer part. The detachable connections between the bow units and the centre section will be later described.

The centre section consists of a hollow rectan-l gular base I8, folding side members I9 and folding end members 20. The base is built up of asheet metal base panel 2| (Fig. 4) sheet metal side panels 22 and sheetmetal end panels 23 riveted to corner castings 24 and to angle pieces 25 running along the bottom of the base. The whole is stiffened Vby vertical and horizontal Z-section stiieners 26. To the upper edges of the base are fitted channels 21 having three upstanding flanges 28, 29, 30. Two of these flanges 29, 30 are close together andfaccommodate a rubber sealing strip 3 I, which is hollow so as to permit of compression of the rubber when engaged by beads 32 on the side and end. members. These beads are provided on channels 33 at the bottom faces of the sideland end members which cooperate withgthe base channels 21 to give a three line contact for the transmission of loads through the side and end members to the base. The seal between the lower edge of the side members and the base is shown in Fig. 4, and that between the lower edges of the end `members and the 'base -is shown on a larger scale in Fig. 5. In each case the hollow rubber strip 3| is compressed by the bead 32 on the folding member which is afforded three point contact by the flanges 28, 29, 301cm the base. s

As shown in Fig. 2, upstandingispigots 534 'are provided at intervals on the rsiizl'sbf the baise to engage corresponding sockets 35 in the bottom channels 33 of the side members whenr the latter are in the raised position.

U-section runners 36 (Fig. 4) areprovidedon the undersurflace of the base, and facilitate stacking of a number of centre sections. When the sidemembers are folded down, these ydeeper runnefs engage, whenthe centre `sectionsJar-e stacked and as indicated bythe chain-dotted lines inFig. v4, outside and between the folded over 'side mmbers |'l9'of the next lower centre section inthe stack.

t intervals portions are cut out 'r'th'e sides and ends of the base, and ri nwa'.rdly convex oa'stings 31 carrying handles A3a arev riveted to the base behind these openings. The handles 39are lfliis'h with the 'sheet metal surface'of thefbase.

'Inside the base are stops 39, 'fixed tothe vertical stifeners 26, for supporting the end mem'- bers 2i) when -folded down, the foldeddown'side members |`9 resting'o'n'top of the end 'members and being secured in folded position bysuitable latches (not shown) The side and end members are constitutedeach by a channel section framework, the bottom rnein- /ber 33 of which has 'already been ref-erred to,stup 'porting a sheet metal panel, the side panels being indicated at 49 and the end panels at 4| The side 'and "end members are stilen'ed .by 'Zs'ection stiffeners 42. The end members 2 0 carry'downwardly extending arms A43 which are'hin`g'ed at"4 4 to lthe 'base below thetop level thereof, so thatthe endfmembe'rs can fold down, into the basefa'ridon t the stops 3 9. Theihingesfor the"`s idefmemb ers areshown at' d5, and as' already explained the vside -members 'fold down on top of the 'end mem. e s. n

The top channels "46 j (Fig. 3) l'of'A the' 'side members 4carry sockets "41 forlocating 'theistructureto be supportedon"thepontoon.

One' of the locking devices ff'nfsecfuiring the 'side 'and 'end 'members together 'is showngifnv Fig. 5. Thefehd member carriesa pair" of'coaxial tubulisr 'fittings te, '49. A iogckinfgfbqitsu is lsiidapiy mounted inni-e fitting fia,- aid;has lapin '5| engaging a slot 52'intheittingl., By hioving'the'pih 5| vtothetttom bf thefsict saine Bolt su caribe retracted, so permittingan ape'z'rtured "piee '54 carried bythe side membertls, tojcome'into 'tion between Ythe tting'std, 49. Tl'fenfb'y nasi'n'g v'the'bolt 5U, it can be moved to the 'position "shown in Fig. "5 to latch the side and'eri'dlmmbrsto'- 'getlen and retained inithi'sposition byfrotatihg it 1in-til lits pin'5l engages a'lateral eiten'sion'?, Y"ofthes'lot' 52 asshown. VA locking device asfshown iniFig v5 is 'pivoted "ateach cornerfof thecehtre section.

The seal between adi-@innig vertical edges of -theSide-and end members is shown in Fig, 6. Ea'ch'fside channel 'Hl` ofl eachsi'de member has an extension '55 Awithin Vvwhich "is i'acctnrinodated ""a bber' 'sealing strip 5E. Each V"side'channel I 51:of `ettc'slfi'eiidri'lernbr'has a projectin'g'bad 58'whi'ch "60 cldihg members.

engages and compresses the associated ysealing' strip 56, in the raised position of the members, to eiect the seal.

At diametrically opposite corners of the base 5 are provided hooks 59, pivoted at 6D, while at the other corrersiae provided 'batches Y15|.. The inner parts |'I of the bowsetionar'eprovided with hooks |59, -pivoted at |60, to cooperate with the batches 6| on the centre section, and with catches 110 "IBI tocoojperate with the hooks 59 on the centre section. The hooks 59, |59 are yprovided with 'handles '1;"2,A "|162 respectively. To secure the :bot- 'tomends vofthe 'inner parts of the bow units to 'the "centrefsection'the hooks 59, |59 are swung by their handles 6.2, |62 from the position of Fig.

latches -63 .are .provided on the centre section in association Wthtlflecathes'l, The 1atche'sf63, |53 4rfall, :as shown, by gravity aboveth'e handles |62, 62"r'esp'ectively, `sopreveriting accidental 'dis'- eiigageinent of the hooks from their respective catches.

'30 gagi'ng catches :|155 'on 'the bow units, and by engagement of catchesBE 'atfthe fothercorner's of Vthe "centre section 'by -Jlaivcted latches nl' 64 on vthe bow iinits. r

`What I lclaim as my invention and" desire tosel. A "metalponton, "comprising v"a hollow rectangula'r basehavinga bottom "and upstanding sidesandend's,e'aoh'side andend of 'the base having "at its upper edge''a"channel, a Vrubber sealing 4o strip disposed'in`e'ach channel, folding sideand end members, hinges connecting the side members "to" the npst'aridi'ng sides of 'the base, vhinges connecting `'the "end V'r'nern'bers to the opstanding mis 'of the vbasi-e, "said rniii'ng memsefs being siti'on and a v'raised :position in 'which they 'con-- stitute up'ward extensions of 'the sides "and "ends of tthe base, -`a yproe'eti'ng bead "on `eat'zh `of ,"s'aid folding members arranged to engage "and bed into "the `associated "rubber stripjto 'provide a waterreiicluding "seal, whenthe 'folding member is inaised'pos'itioh, looking means for `sec1i`1in'g"'the folding membersfinraisedpositin, and Vfirth'e'r rubber sealing :strips Ifor 'providing' 'water-eiicl'u'ding seais at 'the-vertical joints 'betweenthe'faisii folding mrnbersfsadtlps ybeing Carried by 'one oppositepair'of oldiifgm'ernber's'ahd being ngagedin the'rasedipositih of said fldingmenbers, by'cooperatirg'beads Yoirtlie other pair 'of i2. A'met'al pontoon, comprising arectangular base constitiited by upst'andihg corner sectin's, side andedbhannelsjoining the'pp'r eds 'of saidfcorner sections, Vshet vmetal 4side and eiid side ahldi'enid channels, andasheet 'metal bottom,each of said side arid "end "chahnels'havir'g mme 'fumier sealing strip, @folding side 'and end members :hinged 'to the base and'ino'vable constitute npwardfcontihuatirs'ofthe sides'and rds of 'the base, ea'ch f vSaid "folding v'mei/n'bers being CQnstitut'd by a "channel "section frame faced 1with A"sheet `'metal `'each channel 'section nel and a pair of side channels, the bottom channel of each folding member having a bead for engaging, when said member is in raised position, the adjoining rubber jointing strip on the base to provide a water-excluding seal between said folding member and the base, further rubber sealing strips in the side channels on one opposite pair of folding members, the side channels of said other pair of folding members having projecting beads for engaging said further rubber sealing strips, when said folding members are raised, to provide water-excluding seals at the vertical joints between said folding members, and locking means for securing said folding members in raised position.

3. A metal pontoon as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said rubber sealing strips is hollow.

4. A metal pontoon as claimed in claim 2, comprising U-section runners fitted to the undersurface of the base, said runners serving, when a number of the pontoons are stacked, to engage the folding members of the next lower pontoon in the stack to stabilize said stack of pontoons,

5. A metal pontoon, comprising a hollow rectangular base member having a bottom and upstanding sides and ends, folding side and end members, hinges connecting the side members to the upstanding sides of the base member, hinges connecting the end members to the upstanding ends of the base member, said folding members being movable about their hinges between a folded position and a raised position in which they constitute upward extensions of the sides and ends of the base member, locking means for securing the folding members in raised position, a plurality of sealing means for providing, in the raised position of said folding members, waterexcluding `joints between the lower edge of each folding member and the adjoining upper edge of the base member, each of said sealing means comprising a strip of compressible sealing material mounted in a channel on one of the two lastmentioned members and a projecting bead on the other of said latter members arranged to engage and bed into said strip when the folded member is in raised position, and further strips of compressible sealing material for providing water-excluding seals at the Vertical joints between the raised folding members, said strips being carried by one opposite pair of folding members and being engaged, in the raised position of said folding members, by cooperating beads on the other pair of folding members.

ARTHUR GOUGE.

REFERENCES CITEDY The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

